Make Way For Ducklings By Robert McCloskey
Warning: CONTAINS SPOILERS!
My reading of Make Way for Ducklings is not seeped in nostalgia like some readers' experiences might be at a later age. Because of this, I might have the advantage (or disadvantage?) of recognizing some questionable plot holes that the more sentimental reader might overlook.
Mr. and Mrs. Mallard open our story by flying over beautiful New England scenery with plenty of lakes, woods, and fields looking for a place to raise their family. Because there might be natural predators in, well, nature, they press onward toward the (naturally) safer choice to raise babies: in the heart of an east cost Metropolis.
Landing on an island in a lake in the middle of a city park, The Mallards delight in the free peanuts city slickers toss at them and exclaim that this right here is the good life (note: ducks should not eat peanuts). That is, until they almost get run over by a bicycle. No good! We can't have our babies squished. Let's press on, they agree.
Spotting another island (this time in the Charles River), The Mallards make the split-second decision of, Yes let's just stay here. Good thing! Cause those eggs be comin.
The Mallards hang at their new island home, occasionally paddling over to the mainland to hang with their new police officer friend, Michael, who, you guessed it, feeds them peanuts.
After a few days, the eggs hatch into eight gorgeous ducklings named: Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack. Nope, not kidding. Jack and Mack lucked out, Quack is going to be forever teased at Duck School (Imagine if you were named Yell) and Ouack will forever reflect on the fact that his parents didn't give a damn about his name, so long as they maintained their cute ABC trend.
Right after hatching, Daddy Duck thinks it's an excellent time to do some exploring. But, he says, I'll meet you in a week at the Public Garden (or the first island the Mallards encountered in Boston). Note: he doesn't say, I'll be back in a week, hang tight, he says, Please take our eight newborns on a dangerous excursion through the streets of Boston. Even though I can fly.
Luckily, Momma Mallard has taught the ducklings how to walk in a line, which is really the only necessary life-skill for city ducklings. That paired with, of course, the jolly bobby Michael get the ducklings safely across their first street. With a HUGE sense of urgency, Michael then phones the other policemen of the town saying, Dudes, there are ducks on a mission in Boston; we gotta start closing down some streets.
Meanwhile, Momma Mallard struts around with a spring in her waddle as men and women praise her ability to keep her ducks in a row. She leads her gang through intersections like she owns the town, as numerous cops stop traffic to let them peep by. Once safely in the Public Garden, Mr. Mallard greets them with a subtle, What took you so long? while all the baby ducklings are wide-eyed and sallow-faced, wishing they could have spent the day hunting for beetles instead of nearly loosing Nack at the intersection of Churchill and Main.
In the end, The Mallards decide to stay at the Public Gardens, because they liked eating peanuts all day, and the bicycles aren't really THAT bad, right? Not like those foxes out in nature.
A beautifully illustrated book that highlights the complexities of sink-or-swim parenting, city-dwelling wildlife, and misconceptions about waterfowl diets.
62 This is probably one of my all time favorites. I live near Boston and am very familiar with the Public Garden. They have installed Make Way for Duckling sculptures there which any visitor to Boston might enjoy seeing. 62 3.5 Stars
I adore the art in this book... and it’s just so stinking cute? Small fry loved counting the ducklings and reading off their names. But the ending also feels really abrupt after soooo much build up? 62 The art is beautiful and the story was quite nice 62 [image error] 62
Robert McCloskey's unusual and stunning pictures have long been a delight for their fun as well as their spirit of place.— The Horn Book
Mrs. Mallard was sure that the pond in the Boston Public Gardens would be a perfect place for her and her eight ducklings to live. The problem was how to get them there through the busy streets of Boston. But with a little help from the Boston police, Mrs. Mallard and Jack, Kack, Lack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack arive safely at their new home.
This brilliantly illustrated, amusingly observed tale of Mallards on the move has won the hearts of generations of readers. Awarded the Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children in 1941, it has since become a favorite of millions. This classic tale of the famous Mallard ducks of Boston is available for the first time in a full-sized paperback edition.
Make Way for Ducklings has been described as one of the merriest picture books ever ( The New York Times ). Ideal for reading aloud, this book deserves a place of honor on every child's bookshelf.
This delightful picture book captures the humor and beauty of one special duckling family. ... McClosky's illustrations are brilliant and filled with humor. The details of the ducklings, along with the popular sights of Boston, come across wonderfully. The image of the entire family proudly walking in line is a classic. —The Barnes & Noble Review
The quaint story of the mallard family's search for the perfect place to hatch ducklings. ... For more than fifty years kids have been entertained by this warm and wonderful story.— Children's Literature Make Way For Ducklings
Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are looking for a place to hatch their ducklings and live. They fly all around and try to look for a perfect place. They come across a place by the Charles River and hatch the ducklings there. They have eight ducklings. They also come across a nice, friendly policeman called Michael who feeds them and also helps them to cross across the town in busy traffic.
This is such an adorable book with charming, vintage pictures. I have the new version that is read by the actor, Jake Gyllenhall which makes for a perfect audiobook for children.
5 stars 62
The Big Chill Except With The Ducklings From Make Way For Ducklings, Now All Grown Up is what I originally was going to post for this review but then I was like you know who likes ridiculous things with extremely long titles is McSweeney's, I should see if they want this, and they did. Here are the Duckling things I didn't cover:
a) my kid thinks all cops are named Michael now
b) here is a funny tweet
c) this book is very famous amongst Bostonians and all babies born in Boston automatically get like five copies of it from various cousins. This is for good reasons:
c.1) there are not many famous things from Boston, it's pretty much this and Aerosmith, western Mass tries to take credit for the Pixies too but it doesn't always work
c.2) Make Way For Ducklings is oddly specific in its Boston geography. It's practically a tour guide.
Anyway the result is that there's a statue of the ducklings on Boston Common and here's my kid with them, following my general rule of Always Post A Picture Of Your Cute-Ass Kid, People Seem To Like That.
My friend Joanne below reminds me that there's even an annual Duckling Parade in Boston - May 12 for 2019 - at which, I assume, toddlers run into traffic. 62 A beautifully illustrated story about two mallards who are searching for the perfect place to raise a family. Although they don't pick an ideal place everyone does their best to help the ducks when the ducklings arrive. A happy story about ducks raising a family and living in a built up area.
Borrowed from openlibrary. 62 How did I get to be 64 years old without ever having read this Caldecott-winning classic? It’s a reminder that you don’t need full-color illustrations or gimmicks for a book to be amazing. This picture book on the plight of Mr. and Mrs. Mallard seeking a home for their babies in Boston has delighted young and old alike since its release in 1941; it’s easy to see why. Lovely illustrations and a compelling story make Make Way for Ducklings as wonderful today as ever. 62 5***** and a ❤
Mr and Mrs Mallard search for a good home in which to raise their brood. It must be safe from foxes and turtles, have water to swim in, and a good source of food. They find the perfect place just in time.
This is a perennial favorite for children and their parents. I have many fond memories of sitting before the television, watching in rapt attention as Captain Kangaroo read this book to us. Oh, how I loved the story of how Policeman Michael and the other people ensured the safety of Mrs Mallard and her brood: Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack and Quack, as they crossed busy streets, waddled past coffee shops and book stores, and finally made their way to the Public Gardens, for a reunion with Mr Mallard who waited patiently on the little island in the pond.
It’s an absolute delight to revisit this story and my adult self is much more able to appreciate the wonderfully detailed illustrations.
62
